Patent GB-341613-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in work feeding and work removing means for lathes and like machine tools
IPC: B23Q7/04
Filed: 1929-11-13
Abstract: 341,613. Grinding. DEHN, F. B., 103, Kingsway, London.-(Seneca Falls Machine Co. ; Fall Street, Seneca Falls, New York, U.S.A.) Nov. 13, 1929, No. 34673. [Class 60.] Feed devices.-In a device for feeding workpieces such as pistons to an automatic lathe, grinding machine or other machine tool, the work-pieces are positioned successively between the centres by successive lateral and downward movements in a plane transverse to the lathe axis. The work spindle 33 is provided with a driver 42 which is advanced axially into the work-piece W<1> supported between a tail centre 31 and a surface on the spindle 33. The blanks W pass by gravity down a shoot 45 and are transferred by a gripper 68 to the work centres. At the same time a second gripper 70 removes a finished blank W<2> and transfers it past adjustable fingers 65 to a delivery runway 63. The blanks on the shoot 45, are held back by latches 50 secured to a cross rod 52. One of the latches, Fig. 1, is operated at a predetermined point in the machine cycle by a projection 60 on the tool slide which acts through lever 58, rod 56, bell crank 54 and link 53 to lower the latches 50 and allow a single blank to roll down to the retaining arms 49. At the same time the remaining blanks are held back by tail projections 61 on the latches 50. The feed gripper 68 and delivery gripper 70 each comprise forked arms 66 pivoted at 67 and closed against the opening pressure of a spring 77 by means of a plunger 78 fitted with a hook 79. The feed gripper is provided with a positioning member 69, Fig. 10, and the delivery gripper with a spring latch 72 connecting with one of the grooves of the finished piston. The holders 68, 70 are pivoted on studs 80, 80a fixed in a vertically movable member 81 and the holder 68 is guided by a stud 83 in a fixed cam slot 84. In order to move the stud 83 round its cam slot a slotted arm 87 engaging the stud is rotated by means of a pinion 89, and rack bar 91, actuated through a rod 93 and link mechanism from a cam 101, Fig. 25. The rack bar is clear of the pinion teeth at the limits of the travel the end positions of the arm 87 being determined by a stop 103. During the first part of the movement from the position shown in Fig. 4 the member 81 moves upwards and the delivery gripper guided by a stud 108 engaging a cam track 109, raises the finished work-piece vertically from the centres. The stud 83 then passes into the horizontal part of its track and engages a lever 112 which through a second lever 110 actuates the stud 108 and carries the delivery gripper to a position above the runway 63. When the stud 83 descends to the position shown in Fig. 19 the finished work-piece is transferred to the runway 63 and a new blank is held between the centres. After release of the work by the grippers, the pinion 89 is reversed, and the grippers are returned to a normal inoperative position, Fig. 24, until another work-piece has been completed. The mechanism for locking and unlocking the grippers is controlled by an extension 143 of the rack rod 91 which acts through lever mechanism, Fig. 22, to reciprocate in opposite directions plungers 127, 137 controlling the feeding and delivery grippers respectively, Fig. 14. These plungers act through cam plates 124, 134, pivoted on the studs 80, 80a respectively. The cam plate movements are communicated through levers 120, 130, to the hooks 79, 79a respectively provided on the gripperclosing plungers. As the grippers are moved to pick up their respective blanks, Fig. 24, a shoulder on the rack bar 91 engages the lever 140, thus shifting the plungers 127, 137 as indicated in Fig. 14 and raising the hooks 79, 79a to close the grippers which remain closed while the required transference of the blanks is effected. At this point a pawl 142 actuates the lever 140 in the reverse direction, thus rotating the cam plates and releasing the levers 120, 130 so that the springs 77 may open the grippers and release the work. The extreme portions of the upward and downward travel of the rack-bar 91 for the purpose of opening and closing the grippers are effected when the rack teeth are clear of the pinion 89, by parts 101a, 101b of the rack-bar operating cam. For handling long work-pieces, additional pairs of grippers may be provided.